Apple Watch <a href="http://arstechnica.com">hands-on table</a> from September Media Event
According to multiple reports out of France, Apple is constructing a dedicated display for the upcoming Apple Watch in some upscale Paris-based retail outlets. The reports say that the size of the display is close to the length of a few small balconies and that Apple Retail Senior Vice President Angela Ahrendts has been directing the construction of the booth at retailer Galeries Lafayette on Champs Elysees. While these claims for France are still unconfirmed, sources have told us that Apple is considering constructing dedicated Apple Watch retail stores in the future if demand deems such outlets necessary…
These dedicated stores could be stores within larger high-end retailers, similar to how Macs are sold at Best Buy, or smaller-scale Apple Stores that sit on their own to sell Apple Watches. It is unclear when these dedicated stores will debut, if ever, but Apple has already begun work on transforming its existing stores to sell the Apple Watch. Sources say that Apple is currently installing dedicated safes inside of its stores to house the pricier Apple Watch Edition models prior to sale in addition to special weight scales to determine the amount of gold in individual Apple Watch units. Stores have also begun stocking up on special cleaning wipes to clean Apple Watch store models in between hands-on demonstrations for customers.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the Apple Watch will begin shipping by April.
Update: Apple is reportedly opening up another pop up shop in London Selfridges pictured below in their famous “Wonder Room” with hires being transferred from local Apple Stores to the central London location.
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Will you have to be dressed appropriately to enter?
I would expect so :)
A shirt and shoes will probably be required, yes.
underwear is optional.
Jeans and a black polo.
Given that the Apple Watch will require an iPhone (at least initially) it seems like stocking iPhones in these booths would be a good idea too.
Unless a dedicated iMac is set up in the retail space running special emulator software that connects to the watches through Bluetooth and acts as the tethered iPhone.
I think the original poster is referring to the prospect of bundled sales of watch + phone.
I assume that would work for demonstration purposes but my thinking is more along the lines of customers that might want a watch but not already own an iPhone.
I’d think that some base iPhone 6 and 6+ models would be enough but someone willing to buy a watch that starts at $350 might be willing to buy one of the more expensive models as well.
“close to the length of a few small balconies”
Are you serious? Last time I checked, that was not an accepted metric. Feet or meters would work though. Seriously.
I found that metric a bit odd as well. Balconies can be a few feet long, or hundreds of feet long.
What are you talking about? I was in the new local Apple store and it is almost as wide as one and a quarter courtyards and as tall as a reasonably long shadow. Think different.
Indeed. And as we all know too well a reasonably long shadow is just a hair’s breadth shy of of seven chickens and two cats.
Ce est étonnant!
I’m going to call it now and say the new Apple store finishing construction on NYC’s Madison Ave (@74th st.) will be a “watch-only” store.
I’m calling it now that you’ll be wrong.
How will a dedicated “watch store” (of any kind), actually be any help whatsoever with sales? People aren’t thinking straight here.
Also, say you are Apple, and you are wanting to join the ranks of the fashion elite. Why would you send out the message that *your* store, is more like a country grocery, and in fact you need a much fancier store all by itself just to sell this one product? It would be like them saying, “the regular Apple store is crap, you need to go to the Apple PLUS store where the good shit is.”
They want to make their own stores the destination not someone else’s.
Are there any mini Apple Stores left in operation? Those would be perfect location to retrofit for a pilot program.
The last one closed just one week ago.
Yeah right :roll eyes: You want the fancy Apple Watch to be in that area “in the back” of Costco, where there are no staff to even watch the merchandise. Now *that* would be a great watch buying experience.
I’m not talking about store-in-a-store Apple Stores, I’m talking about the very small mall lot idea that Apple toyed with and ultimately abandoned.
http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/ministores.html
The handful that they opened remained in place until they moved to full-sized lots somewhere nearby.
There is no Galeries Lafayette store on the Champs Elysees.
Indeed it appears to be located at 40, boulevard Haussmann, in the 9th arrondissement, Paris.
a perfect example how American-based bloggers struggle with context. (not that it’s difficult – would have taken about 30 seconds in the address bar of Safari to look up the address.. )
Well, a tiny fashion boutique in the capital city of a third-rate country will totally fix everything! What a plan!